Monday 20/3/17
Propelinfo.com – Fever Bars relaunches Lincoln nightclub at former Lola Lo site: Fever Bars, led by managing director Mark Shorting, has relaunched a Lincoln nightclub at a former Lola Lo site it acquired from Eclectic Bars in November. Following a £250,000 refurbishment, the twin-themed basement club in High Street offers two separate areas and different styles of music. The Fever Room is the “party room”, with a new dance floor and velvet interior, whereas the Boutique Room features black leather walls, mirrors and laser lights with a soundtrack of R&B and house music. Fever & Boutique general manager John Mason told The Lincolnite: “We have all new everything. We moved booth seats to different locations to give the venue a new feel. We want to give people a venue that’s a different atmosphere to where they go normally. It’s a twin-scene venue, with something for most people.” Lola Lo opened in April 2012, replacing Japanese-themed club Sakura, which was previously Po Na Na – all brands owned by Eclectic Bars, which is owned by Brighton Pier Group. Fever Bars operates almost 30 clubs and bars across the country.
Hospitalityandcateringnews.com – Third parliamentary select committee calls for reducing Tourism VAT: A third major parliamentary select committee has come out in favour of reducing tourism VAT. The recommendation by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster, is another massive step in moves to make the UK tourism industry on a level playing field with its European counterparts. Dermot King, MD of Butlins and Chairman of the Campaign to Cut Tourism VAT, said: “There is now deafening support from across the UK and the political spectrum for the government to recognise the distinct needs of the hospitality and tourism sector. The UK is at a major competitive disadvantage to European competitors, ranking 140th out of 141 on world price competitiveness. A reduction in tourism VAT could be brought into effect immediately, as there is no need for legislation at the national or EU level.” Read More
Tuesday 21/3/17
Bighospitality.co.uk – Pubs charged for food hygiene re-inspections
By Nicholas Robinson+, 20-Mar-2017
Pubs could be made to pay for requested re-inspections of their businesses under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced. Read More
Wednesday 22/3/17
Bighospitality.co.uk – UK small businesses admit to struggling with financial management
By Hannah Thompson, 22-Mar-2017
One in five (22%) UK small businesses admits to struggling with day-to-day financial management, a new survey has found. Read More
Propelinfo.com – Byron opens Norwich restaurant, first Norfolk site: Better burger brand Byron has opened a restaurant in Norwich – its first site in Norfolk. The company has opened the venue in the courtyard at the Intu Chapelfield shopping centre, creating 30 jobs. Marketing director Paul Coppin told the Eastern Daily Press: “We’re excited to be opening our restaurant doors in such a cultural city and look forward to welcoming diners to our latest Byron. We can’t wait to welcome proper hamburger fans to our new restaurant to try our hamburgers and our new menu additions for spring!” Byron was founded by Tom Byng in 2007, with the first restaurant opening in Kensington High Street, London. It currently has 70 branches in the UK.
Pitchcare.com – Royal Norwich Golf Club Completes Sale: Royal Norwich Golf Club, one of the Norfolk’s leading courses, has completed the sale of its land to developer Persimmon for £17m. The sale, which has been planned for number of years, will see the current site eventually being redeveloped into housing, while the golf club will relocate to Weston Park, following the acquisition of their existing course from Weston Park Golf Club. “We are absolutely delighted to have signed the agreement,” said David Coventry, Chairman of Royal Norwich Golf Club. “This has been a long process for members, the various committees and individuals who have been involved in the project, but we can finally start the next exciting phase in the development of Royal Norwich.” The current golf course will remain open for next two years, with investment planned immediately on site to maintain the quality of the golfing experience for members and visitors. Work on the new Weston course is due to begin this month with the intention of opening in early 2019. The new home for Royal Norwich Golf Club will be developed into one of the region’s outstanding new courses, featuring an 18-hole and academy course being designed by Ross McMurry of European Golf Design, and a new club house.
Thursday 23/3/17
Friday 24/3/17
Propelinfo.com – Deltic Group opens Bar & Beyond in King’s Lynn: Deltic Group, the UK’s largest operator of premium late-night bars and clubs, has opened the latest venue for its Bar & Beyond brand, this time in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. The company has invested £450,000 to convert its Chicago’s nightclub in Norfolk Street and, following a Bar & Beyond opening in Norwich, Deltic Group has invested £1m in the county. The opening weekend will feature DJ sets and appearances by The Only Way is Essex stars Lauren Pope and Mark Wright, while next month the venue will host sets by Busted singer Matt Willis, TV presenter Gok Wan and Made in Chelsea reality star Jamie Lang. The bar incorporates a Shoreditch-inspired design, including graffiti art, skull imagery and modern sculpture. It also features ten booths, three bars and an outside terrace. General manager Glen Sarabi said: “Bar & Beyond is such an exciting concept, with its urban, stripped-back design featuring a laid-back bar and high-octane club.” The Bar & Beyond ethos offers a relaxed bar from early evening followed by club experience Beyond. Deltic Group operates 58 clubs and bars in the UK and employs 3,000 people.
Propelinfo.com – CAMRA celebrates government move to close pub planning loophole: The government is set to close a loophole that allows pubs in England to be demolished or converted to retail use without a planning application. CAMRA, which campaigned for the change, said the loophole had “made pubs a soft target for developers, contributing to 21 net pub closures every week”. CAMRA chief executive Tim Page said: “This announcement is the result of the work of thousands of local campaigners and CAMRA members. This change delivers real and robust protection to valued community pubs, which previously relied on communities going through the bureaucratic process of securing Asset of Community Value (ACV) listings, or local authorities choosing to use complex and obscure Article 4 directions. We will work with the government to ensure these measures are implemented as soon as possible to allow pubs across England to start benefiting from the protection of the planning system.” Shadow spokesman for communities and local government Lord Roy Kennedy, who won a vote on the issue in the House of Lords last month, said: “This is a victory for common sense.” Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Under this new amendment, rather than being placed in a class of their own, pubs would remain in the A4 use-class, with the specific right to extend restaurant use of the pub without requiring planning permission – we were concerned food-led pubs could have been disadvantaged by the House of Lords’ original amendment. This proposal should also remove an incentive for local authorities to pursue Article 4 directions and for ACV ‘mass listings’, which would be a positive step.”
Boutiquehotelier.com – Adnams shuts The Swan for six months to transform into Distillery ‘hub’ and hotel: Adnams, the Suffolk brewer, distiller and retailer, has announced it has closed The Swan Hotel in Southwold for renovation, before reopening the hotel in six months with a refreshed new look. The announcement comes as Adnams published it report and accounts for the 12 months to 31 December 2016, showing sales of £70.3m and a £3.9m operating profit. The Swan Hotel closed at the start of 2017 for the major refurbishment, which the brand sees as a ’once in a generation’ opportunity to transform the historic hotel to create a gateway for the Adnams brand in Southwold. The Cygnets building behind the hotel will be transformed into a hub for the Adnams brewery and distillery tours, with the aim to welcome 16,000 visitors each year. Chairman, Jonathan Adnams said: “The closure will have a material impact on our 2017 results as we will miss income from this property during the refurbishment work.” Read More
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Coffee shops to become ‘new local’ outnumbering pubs by 2030
By Georgina Townshend, 24-Mar-2017
Coffee shops are set to outnumber pubs by 2030 becoming “the new local”, according to a new report. Read More
Propelinfo.com – JD Wetherspoon to open Cambridgeshire pub next month: JD Wetherspoon will open its latest pub, in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, on Tuesday, 4 April. The new pub in Market Hill will be called The Swan & Angel, with the opening creating 60 jobs. The pub will specialise in real ale, as well as craft and world beer, serving a wide range of draught and bottled beers, including ales from local and regional brewers, a company spokesman said. He told the Cambridge News: “The pub is named after two of St Ives’ long-lost pubs, which were marked on an early 18th century map of the town. The Swan and The Angel served the weekly livestock market. Historical photos and details, as well as artwork and images of local scenes and characters of the area, will be displayed in the pub, together with information boards relating to local history, including the cattle market. The design of the pub reflects traditional pub values, as well as the site history within the town.” Earlier this week, Wetherspoon took The Dee Hotel in West Kirby, Merseyside, off the market.
Propelinfo.com – Turtle Bay to open Peterborough site in May: Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay will open a site in Peterborough in May, creating 50 jobs. The company is converting part of the old H&M store in Queensgate into the venue, which will open out on to St John’s Square. Turtle Bay has started its recruitment drive and will hold “auditions” next month at Peterborough United’s London Road stadium. Turtle Bay new openings manager Eddie Coyne told the Peterborough Telegraph: “The auditions are a great couple of days and really put hopefuls to the test when it comes to being in tune with the Caribbean vibe and the essence of Turtle Bay.” The company, which is backed by Piper Private Equity, was formed by Las Iguanas co-founder Ajith Jaya-Wickrema and has 34 sites across the UK, having opened its first restaurant in Milton Keynes in 2010.